Wednesday 27 February 2008

Straight from the track……..

Anybody trying to contact a member of the South Tyneside’s Labour Party hierarchy last weekend would have found their mobiles going straight over to answer phone . Why? Because they were all at a get together to discuss the coming May elections and which wards would be lost and gained. Here’s how the Labour bookies viewed the form:

BEACON AND BENTS WARD
A forgone conclusion – the seat is lost. Councillor Wood spent the whole night in a pool of sweat.

WHITBURN AND MARSDEN
The Labour view is that they will loose the seat. Despite the fact that she remains popular, it is felt a Labour backlash will unseat Councillor Dixon.

BOLDON COLLIERY
The vultures are already gathering over Councillor Bell. Whilst colleagues are putting a brave face on for the sake of her bank balance, behind her back they are already signing her retirement card. The anti school candidate already has a name, with many people already calling him “Victor”.

WEST PARK
Labour actually think that they can take this seat from the Progressives, and are prepared to hit the streets to win it.

HARTON
A bit like the above. With the Progressives now working on their own, Labour feel without the Alliances help to deliver leaflets etc, the standing Councillor won’t even be able to find the Ward.

HORSLEY HILL
Again Labour are worried. Gypsies Green will return to haunt them.

BIDDICK AND ALL SAINTS
If a saint actually still resides in this ward, then Labour would like him to grant them a miracle, such is the level of depression in anticipation of a resounding defeat.

WHITELEAS
If the current incumbent actually stands, Labour doesn’t see themselves making any headway at all. The seat has already been pencilled in to the Alliance.

FELLGATE AND HEDWORTH
With the knives out for WAGGGOTTT, even McAtominey and Malcolm would like to see the Party loose this seat. However, it will be the electorate who perform the night of the long knives for them.

And finally…..

PRIMROSE
With BNP posters all ready in house windows, Labour is panicking that the far right will take the seat. Many BNP supporters are disgruntled labour voters, and let’s face it, there are enough of them about at the moment. If the seat falls to the BNP, there will be nobody else to blame but Labour themselves.

So there you have it, the results of a Labour get together which would have had even the Samaritans on high alert. The Party’s worst scenario is 9 lost seats, though they will have an all night rave if they can reduce it to just 6. So who will gain: clearly it won’t be the Liberal Democrats, who will struggle to field a candidate in every ward. The Conservatives could theoretically take Whitburn and Marsden, but to do so they would actually have to turn up. No, the real victors will be the Alliance, with the wards they are declared in causing the Labour group major concerns and head aches.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Peter you`ve missed Monkton.

PETER SHAW said...

Whilst my list is not exhaustive, I did have to write them down on the back of a beer mat. For those of you who are interested, I was in a certain pub frequented by Labour dignitaries (honestly, I was just passing through) One of them recognised me from past “encounters”, but has always remained “civil”. Civil this time meant very open, no doubt due to the pints of Carling which had been consumed. He began with “here’s something for your blog you t**t” and then proceeded to blab as to what they had all been up to that weekend. I couldn’t write it down quick enough. His final comments were “Tell that Badger that if he’s in the room, he’s dead”. I presume he didn’t mean from TB either! As I glanced in “the room”, I can confirm that said Badger WAS in the room, so the Labour elite still don’t know who he is.

Put it this way, you ex-trade unionists, you have such a way with words!

So yes, lets add Monkton to the list.

Anonymous said...

Peter, I was also in a pub last night, the Greyhound at Calf Close.
Frequented by Labour Councillors only 100yards from the Wagggottts hoose, boy it would have been a picture if the Waggggottts had of called in for a swift half.
The place was full of Independent Councillors and Supporters, fresh (and the weather certainly was)from a canvassing blitz on Calf Close.I hope he dont mind us drinking in his local!

Anonymous said...

My spies tell me that this little get together was at Alan Donnelly's gaff on Saturday.

Anonymous said...

What about Ed Malcolm then. I thought he looked a rite clip trying to get the Arab vote by visiting the mosque in Laygate th other day.
Hevaen help him if one of Laygate's more vocal residents decides to stand. Who is he gonna hood wink then.